Receptacle



May 2, 1933. L. R. SMITH ET AL RECEPTACLE Filed Oct. 28. 1931 EL n m I p I 7 71? flrToRA/EKS Patented May 2, 1933 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFIC'E LLOYD B. SMITH, OF ALTON, ILLINOIS, AND SAMUEL I. GORDON, OF ST. LOUIS, .IISSOURI, ASSIGNOBS '1'0 DB. PEPPER BOTTLING COMPANY'OF ST. LOUIS, .01 8'1. LOUIS, IIBBOUBI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE EECEPTACLE Application filed October 28, 1931. Serial No. 571,526.

This invention relates to receptacles, particularly to receptacles of the type commonly used for receiving and carrying bottles; and the principal object of this invention is to devise an article receptacle in which a part of the articles therein can be removed and conveniently handled without disturbing the others.

Our invention consists rincipally in a main receptacle havin sma ler cases therein for bottles and the li e, the smaller cases .having individual handles of novelconstruction which are extensible so that they normally lie below the tops of the bottles in the smaller case but may be raised to permit a smaller case to be removed from the main case and toafi'ord means for carrying the smaller case thereafter. Our invention also consists in the receptacle, and in the parts and combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanyin drawing, which forms part of this speci cation, and wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, of a bottle case embodying our invention and showing the individual handles of the smaller cases below the tops of the bottles therein; and 1 Fig. 2 is an oblique view of the bottle case showing one of the individual smaller cases (with parts broken away) withdrawn from the main one.

In the construction illustrated, a rectangular open-topped boxlike receptacle or bottle case 1 of substantially standard dimem sions is adapted to receive four open-topped rectangular smaller boxlike cases 2 of substantially the same height as the main case 1; and the main bottle case is provided with the usual hand-holes 3 in its smallereiids for carryin it. Each of the smaller cases is prefera ly of substantially one-half the width and length, respectively, of the larger case so that the four smaller cases substantially fill the space within the main case but are independently removable therefrom.

Each case has two spaced transverse artitions 4, and a single middle longitudinal The longitudinal partition 5 of each smaller case 2 does not extend the full height thereof but only in the upper part of the box; and each of said smaller cases is provided with a bail-like handle 8 whose ends are looped as at 9 around the end portions of said longitudinal partition 5, the loops being long enough so that the handle 8 may be raised above the top of the bottles for carrying purposes as is the case of the handle of the withdrawn case in Fig. 2; and when the smaller cases are put in the main case the handle 8 may be depressed so that its top is disposed below the level of the tops of the bottles as is the case of the handles in Fig. 1. Preferably, the ends of the bail are sprung'inwardly when assembled in the case so thatthe ends of the bail tend to ress outwardly to frictionally engage t e inside 7 walls of the box so that the handle will remain in any position that it is placed and the loops are made narrow enough so that the handle cannot be tilted appreciably from an upright position.

The sides of the handle 8 from the top of the loop to the top of the handle are inclined inwardly as at 10 so that the handle in its normal or depressed position lies substantially within the space defined by the outer edges of the bottles.

Our invention has many advantages over the usual bottle case. It is customary for wholesalers to sell soft drinks in cases oftion therein, a bail havin box, smaller boxes therein an case 0 bottles on top of another case; and if the handles of the smaller cases projected straight out they might be damaged by the edge-of a large case dropping on it and obviously, with our de ressible and inclined side handle construction the handle is at all times protected against injury and also does not interfere with the stacking of cases.

of October-1931.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 26th day of October 1 Obviously, the construction hereinabove b described admits of considerable variations without departing from the s irit of our invention. For instance, whi e we have shown a receptacle for receiving four smaller or sub-cases, it may be feasible to use a different number of smaller cases; and instead of providing-six individual bottlecells in each smaller case, a diflerent number therein may be desirable. Also, while we have shown a case particularly adapted for receiving bottles, it is obvious that our invention is applicable to rece tacles for receiving other kinds of artic es; and since many other variations may be desirable, we do not wish to limit our invention to the precise construction shown and described.

What we claim is:

1. An article receptacle having a parti-. its ends looped around said partition wit suflicient clearance to'move inwardly of said receptacle to bring its outermost portion below the plane of the projecting ends of articles in said receptacle.

2s A bottle case comprising an open box, partitions therein forming cells, one of said partitions extending across the upper part of said box only and a bail having loops in its ends around the ends of said partition, said loops being long enough to enable the top of said bail to go down below the tops of bottles in the box and said bail having its sides inclined inwardly from the loop to the top of the bail so that the bail in its depressed positionlies substantially within the space defined by the outer edges of the bottles in the box.

3. A receptacle havin a partition in the upper part thereof an a bail extending from said receptacle and having loops in its ends around said partition, said loops being longer than the height of said partition and said bail having its ends frictionall engaging the inside walls of the receptac e.

4. A bottle case comprising an open top independently removable therefrom, each of said smaller boxes having a' partition in the upper part thereof and a bail having loops in its ends around the end portions of said partition, said loops being long enough to enable the top of said bail to go 'down below the tops of the bottles in said box and said bail having its ends pressing against the walls of the box.

LLOYD B. SMITH.

SAMUEL F. GORDON. 

